Our Muddy Easter Adventures: Wild Place Project Review

Whilst on our Easter holidays in North Somerset we set off for a day out at Wild Place Project. The park, which is just minutes away from Junction 17 of M5 near Bristol, promised a day of getting close to a range of animals and the opportunity to explore and play in the woodland landscape. The park helps to fund conservation work and goes towards protecting various endangered species of animals.

Upon arrival we were given a map and a fairy trail to find in the woods, this was part of an Easter activity at the time of our visit and Mini was able to exchange her completed trail for some chocolate eggs at the end of the day. There are different seasonal activities on offer, see the Wild Place Project website for up to date details.

As you enter the park there is also a board displaying different talks that you can listen to, to learn more about the animals. We went to the lemur talk and to see them being fed. The talk was really informative and engaging for adults and children alike. You could walk into the lemur enclosure and get really close to see them without being in a cage.

Mini wanted to complete the fairy trail first through the woods which started at the wishing tree. She then had to search in the wood area for 6 hidden fairy doors, she really enjoyed finding them and ticking them off in between playing in the natural play area in the woodland.

There were a good selection of animals to see at Wild Place Project including Lemurs, Goats, Cheetahs, Zebras, Baboons and Giraffes, which are my favourite animal so I always appreciate an opportunity to get close to them. In the giraffe house, you could either see them from the ground or up high on the mezzanine level, you could also see them on the upper decking area outside.

After the lemur talk we walked through Wolf Wood and Mini joined a number of other children who were climbing a large tree to get a good view of the wolves.

We then arrived at the barefoot walk, which Mini had been looking forward to all day and was desperate to get stuck in to. The idea is that you take your shoes and socks off and walk through the different parts of the trail to feel the different textures underfoot. The trail got extremely muddy but Mini had a great time doing it, Mr Mack and I weren’t as brave and kept our shoes on. Luckily there was a tap at the end to wash Mini’s feet off, well as much as we could until bath time.

There are a number of different play areas around Wild Place Project, including a large undercover play area near the entrance which is a good idea for when the rain starts to fall. In additional to the play areas there were also plenty of opportunities for children to climb and explore around the park, such as an old jeep that could be climbed in. It had a real feel of allowing the children to get stuck in and experience what was there without too many boundaries, which was a refreshing change.

We had worn wellies and taken Mini’s puddle suit, which were definitely needed as some of the paths and woodland walk areas were particularly muddy due to the recent rain. The fairy woodland walk also had an obstacle course, which was a lot of fun but again very muddy, this was fine for us but we did see some families struggling who weren’t as well prepared.

We found that the park was clean and well taken care of, all of the animal enclosures were as open as possible and gave the animals plenty of space.

I liked that there were lots of different ways to navigate around the park rather than there being one set way around, it meant that the park felt less busy as people were more evenly spread out. Even though we visited during the school Easter holidays, the park didn’t feel over crowded and we were easily able to see and do everything that we wanted without having to queue.

There was a café on site offering sandwiches, soups, hot drinks and snacks which all seemed at a reasonable price. We had taken a picnic but had drinks from the café. There were also a few food stations dotted around the park however there were all closed during our visit, maybe they only open in the summer months.

There are also some additional activities that you can do at Wild Place Project such as a climbing wall, a giant swing and high ropes challenges, these are all chargeable as extras to the entrance price. The park also offers special experiences to get even closer to the animals for a special treat, see the website for further details.

The ticket prices at the time of our visit were £9.95 per adult and £8.50 for children 2-14. I felt that the entrance costs offered very good value for money and were more reasonable than other similar attractions. Annual membership is also available for £32 per adult and £24 per child, which I think is fantastic value and would definitely consider this if only we lived nearer.

We all really enjoyed our day at Wild Place Project, there was plenty to keep us occupied for a full day and it was a great mix of seeing the animals and exploring nature and enjoying being in the outdoors.

Disclaimer: We were provided with free entry to Wild Place Project for the purpose of providing a review, all views and opinions are entirely our own.

I love the look of this place, what a great way to combine learning about conservation and having a wild time. You certainly have a little adventurer in Mini who looks up for every challenge. the photos from the bare foot walk really made me smile, I bet you were glad of that puddle suit! We have just started a wishing tree, they are a great way to inspire a little magic into a garden.